Dwarven lore
Note that lore already mentioned in lore will be given less attention most likely with a link provided to a more full or reliable source* Dwarves are one of the anomalies of Middle Earth, they were not created by Eru or Morgoth but have still ascended to be one of the greatest races in Middle Earth. Blue Mountains History In the First Age the Blue Clans, the Firebeards and Broadbeams were refugees after Nogrod and Belegost were destroyed. They had to seek refuge in Eriador for a long while, barely being able to combat the threat of Melkor, over time they returned bit by bit and started making above ground cities, towns and hamlets. Around the 2nd Age they started selling dragon fighting armour to the other 7 clans in the east and as they prospered they made huge alcove cities in the sides of mountains hanging like stalagmites and as they thrived together they grew more peaceful and contemplative than the other clans, becoming two of the closest and most brotherly of the clans. Once the War of the Ring came around the two clans had almost merged together and had together made a new city Aglirim. Broadbeams History After the war of Wrath where Belegost was tossed into the floods the Broadbeams had to adapt, many moved to Khazad-Dum while others traveled down into Eriador, integrating themselves into the Dunedain lifestyle, acting as their greatest smiths. Eventually many resettled in the blue mountains and tried to piece together their lost and forgotten culture, adapting into a new clan almost. Firebeards History Iron Hills (Durin's Folk) History *Find greater canon info here* First Age The Dwarves of Durin originally settled in the Misty Mountains travelling from their birthplace of Gundabad with a party of 60 dwarven men and women to Kheled-Zaram, the lake upon which Moria was built, among them were the notable Durin the Deathless and Grofog Macebearer. It was later into the First Age, around FA 499 that the mace Korlan was discovered at the very bottom of Cabed en Aras when Polmar was sent there to try and find the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin, he was unsuccessful and instead found Korlan, instantly taking a liking to the mace and making it a family heirloom for years to come. Second Age They fought alongside the Last Alliance to defeat and destroy Sauron. Third Age In the early Third age The Durin's Folk faced a major calamity, being vacated from their home, Khazad-Dum by the Balrog, Durin's Bane. They became refugees for over 400 year, a whole generation without a homeland. It took the mighty Thráin I to realign his people and create a settlement for them in the Lonely Mountain. Throughout the growths and falls of the Durin's Folk they traveled to the Grey Mountains, West of the Heath. This soon became a reason for calamity, causing another collapse and fracturing the clan in two, with one group returning to The Lonely Mountain and another moving to The Iron Hills. Twas long into the reign of Thrór before disaster cast spite upon the Durin's Folk once again. This time a mighty fire-Drake by the name of Smaug the Golden descended upon the mountain. Burning down the town of Dale and claiming Erebor for himself. Thrór's people once again traveled, some going to the kingdom of Grór in the Iron Hills, while others traveled to the Orocarni, Misty Mountains or even to Glosur in the White Mountains. Thrór was sent mad and tried to reclaim the whole of Khazad Dûm on his own, this though sparked further conflict when the Goblins of Khazad-Dum and their leader Azog the Hobgoblin executed the dwarf king sparking the desolating Orc-Dwarf War. This event though, did manage to unite all 8 clans under one mighty banner as they marched to Moria and fought a mighty battle against uncountable numbers of goblins and evils. It was a victory for the dwarves but not without losses both Nain and Gror died before Dain II Ironfoot struck down and slew Azog. During the War of the Ring the Durin's Folk were fighting a two way war against Gundabad along with Cold Drakes from the Withered Heath. This meant that many dwarven heroes were enlisted as dragon slayers to keep the drakes at bay. Because of this The Durin's Folk weren't seen as very prominent to those in the East because they were stemming a vert strong tide, one unseen by the majority of Middle Earth. The Battle of Were-worms Gulch Very soon after Sauron's final demise, the creatures of Morgoth launched a massive assault. They went straight for the Iron Hills, using deep tunnels in the Earth created by Were-worms as a way to ambush the Dwarves from below. The only ones who knew this was happening were the Serpents and Gwaihir's disciples, The Great Eagles. So when the Serpents ambushed, the dwarven armies were still marching home and there was little to no defense there. The Battle started in a slaughter, with the Drakes and Worms obliterating leagues of dwarven land and even burning down Grorwood, a small forest in the central of the Hills; turning it into War-Charred Hollow as it was known from that day forth. Overtime though, the Eagles reinforced the dwarven front, aiding an aerial advantage by harrying and even blinding the enemies. Except even they were weakened from many of their kind flying for Mordor to Save Frodo and Samwise. even with the Eagles though, the dwarven line is still thin and undermanned. Leading their meager force was Farnin IV Macebearer who was in the Hills, recuperating from a war-injury at the hands of Sorthog; Who he'd encountered and alerted his kingdom to. By the end of the first day at war, the force of 1.5 thousand serpents had lost about 200 of their ranks while the Dwarves, numbering a mere 4300 at the beginning of the battle now numbered only 2600. The Serpents of the Heath lurked back into their tunnels, bringing with them the corpses of those they slaughtered. That night the Dwarves were sleepless, erecting make-shift fortifications and gathering long unused weapons for the villagers to wield. Because of this over the next few days of combat their losses began to slow and become more contained. After the third day of warring, Manwe began to aid his Eagles from the sky, creating thermals for them to ride and gusting winds to lower the defenses of the mighty beasts that legions of Dain fought. The Dwarves themselves actually seemed to have a very small effect in the battle at that point, acting more as distractions than an army. That was until The Armies of Dain II Ironfoot arrived; returning from Gundabad. He sent out a mighty wave of Boar-riders, spearing many serpents and securing the entrances to many of their war-tunnels. They used these as a way to control and flush out the beasts, luring them through one tunnel only fro them to be torn apart on their exiting. The battle grew so heated though that the land started to collapse under both armies feet from the labyrinthine Were-worm tunnels.It formed a mighty valley known later as Were-worms Gulch. By the end of the 9th day the Serpents started to weaken and slunk back to the Heath, defeated and crippled. So as to make sure it never happened again, some of the Aratar; namely Aüle and Manwe fashioned a mountain range spanning from the Corner of the Heath to the Hook of the Iron Hills. This hook served as a mighty bridge allowing the Dwarves greater access to the West. Ironfists, or Runi's Folk The Northernmost of the Red Dwarves, the Ironfists are as cold and unyeilding as the land they were born to. The father of the Ironfists, Runi the Iron-Fisted, awoke in a cold chamber in a deep lake beside a mountain, known as Khaled-Kiril, or the Silver Mirror for how it reflects the light of the moon and stars. Khaled-Kiril is the holiest sight of the Ironfists, but the most majestic and impressive one is Mazar-Uzbal, or the Chambers of Gold. The fortress city and mine is built into the mountain and without. High battlements and towers make this mountain one of the most glorious sights and testament to the work of the Dwarves. It is impossible to tell where the fortress ends and the mountain begins. The "Great Gate" is an engineering marvel. Inside the mountain, beautiful tunnels were carved out of expanded Were-Worm dens. Most of the design is based on vertical angles, lending Mazar-Uzbal a sense of vertigo. In the deep mines, silver and gems run like rivers through rock. But the true wealth of this city lies in Red Gold, a beautiful metal found only in Ironfist lands. Armories and forges are the pride of the city, and the guild of Goldsmiths is ever busy and accepting new members. The Ironfists are in inclusive and xenophobic society, many Dwarves live their whole lives under the rocks. They have turned the art of forging, especially of swords and axes, into an art. Ironfist weapons are coveted by all in the eastern lands. They have also mastered the art of the making of engines of war, including trebuchets, arbalests, and flash-fire. Blacklocks This is heavily WIP. More will be added in time. To the far south of the Orocarni, bordering the sea, lies the great kingdom of the Blackocks. Fierce warriors guard it's borders, against enemies, yes, but also those who can not yet be trusted as friends. To outsiders this may seem suspicious, but there is good cause... For the Kingdom of the Blacklocks is prosperous and powerful, and gold runs deep in it's halls. Great cities rise from the earth, and powerful soldiers enforce the will of the mighty king. The kingdom is a trading center, and thousands of coins worth of materials is exchanged in their cities every day. However, they must always be vigilant... For where there is prosperity, there are those who wish to seize it. Stonefoots To the north of the Blacklocks, but South of the Ironfists, the Stonefoots are caught between two great conflicting powers. They have often been overrun with soldiers, both friendly and hostile, and their very land is scarred with the wear and tear of battle. The Stonefoots have never had the powerful kingdoms or cities or armies of their neighbors. They have never had great heroes or overflowing wealth. They are a somewhat nomadic, and mostly peaceful. At the most they live in mall communities hidden inside the mountains. But in a way, this has helped them survive. For kingdoms fall, cities crumble, and armies perish. But the Stonefoots? The Stonefoots have lived in the mountains for centuries, and will do so for centuries to come... Stiffbeards The most northern of the Orocarni dwarf clans, the Stiffbeards are true nobles at heart with royal and noble blood lacing through even the poorest of families with heirlooms changing hands and weaving new tales all the time, this mostly stems from an ancient event during the Second Age called the catalyst decree, dictating how lineage was traced and how a family's noble blood was ratified and legitimised. They are known though for their masterful compound bows, caltrops, staves and slings, with inventive combat strategies based around wisely using the terrain and preserving as much energy as possible, conquering an opponent with as little effort as possible. Category:Lore